DONOR COUNTRIES PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF DPR KOREA FLOOD, SAYS UN OFFICIAL

DONOR COUNTRIES PLEDGE SUPPORT FOR VICTIMS OF DPR KOREA FLOOD, SAYS UN OFFICIAL
New York, Aug 17 2007 6:00PM
More than a dozen United Nations Member States today pledged to support relief efforts to victims of severe flooding that has swept the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) this month, one of the world body's top humanitarian officials announced.

Many of the countries – the Republic of Korea, Japan, the United States, China, Russia, Italy, Australia, Ireland, the Netherlands, Sweden, Norway, Germany, France and Finland, as well as the European Commission – have already made financial contributions to organizations on the ground, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Margareta Wahlström told reporters in New York.

In the meeting, donors "welcomed the efforts that are being made to support in this disaster," she said.

UN agencies are participating in missions to assess the extent of the damage, which Ms. Wahlström characterized as a "serious disaster," on par with the devastating flooding in the East Asian nation in the mid-1990s.

The Coordinator said that she hopes a "framework that everyone feels confident that that's the correct one" will be reached in the coming days.

Today and tomorrow, the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2600">WFP) and its Government counterpart are conducting assessments in North Hwanghae and South Hamgyong provinces.

Assessment efforts are continuing despite the physical damage wrought by the heavy rains, including destroyed bridges and roads.

The next priority for UN agencies and their partners is to coordinate their actions to respond to victims' needs, Ms. Wahlström noted.

However, assessment work will continue, as there is an "ongoing need to verify and further assess the situation of people," she said.

Official figures put the death toll at 221, with 80 people missing and more than 300,000 rendered homeless by the flooding. Nearly 50,000 houses have been destroyed and a further 85,000 submerged or badly damaged, and forecasts indicate that rains will continue for the next 48 hours.

The nation's grain and rice bowls lie in the most affected provinces, with the Ministry of Agriculture estimating that 11 per cent of rice and maize fields have been flooded, buried or washed away. Coal mining, rail transport, fisheries and construction materials industries have also been seriously affected by the rains, authorities said.

WFP has readied 4,000 metric tons of wheat flour, soybeans, vegetable oil and sugar, and is prepared to launch an emergency operation to feed 320,000 people.

The UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO) – in conjunction with the Ministry of Public Health – will distribute 80,000 water purification tablets, with a single table purifying 20 litres, as well as eight medical emergency kits, each serving 10,000 people for three months.

The UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/">UNFPA) will provide emergency delivery kits for home and clinic births, and is also conducting a pilot population census to ascertain the extent of housing damage.

Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) is working with the Ministry of Public Health to begin distribution next week of essential medical kits, each to aid 4,000 people for three months, and also 500 family water kits. The agency is procuring water purification tablets for 30,000 families and calcium hyperchlorite to treat local water systems.

In concert with the Ministry of Education, UNICEF will conduct a rapid assessment to help flood-ravaged schools prepare for the new academic year.
2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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UN INTENSIFIES RELIEF EFFORTS IN WAKE OF DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE IN PERU

UN INTENSIFIES RELIEF EFFORTS IN WAKE OF DEVASTATING EARTHQUAKE IN PERU
New York, Aug 17 2007 5:00PM
Amid mounting fears that the death and injury tolls will rise following the major earthquake which rocked Peru earlier this week, the United Nations is stepping up efforts to provide relief to victims.

So far, local authorities have confirmed 510 deaths, 1,000 injuries and over 16,000 homes destroyed. But these numbers could climb in coming days, since areas such as Nazca and Palpa in the hardest-hit department of Ica have so far been inaccessible.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) reported that early data has revealed the cities of Cañete, Chincha and Pisco to be the most damaged by the tremors registering 7.9 on the Richter scale which struck Peru on the evening of 15 August.

The UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40618.html">UNICEF) has contributed $200,000 for relief efforts in the response phase and will allocate an additional $300,000 for reconstruction initiatives.

The agency's Deputy Representative said that the Government's response to the disaster has been well-organized. "It is a country that is used to this kind of emergency," said Florence Bauer. "All the hospitals in the country, including the ones from the national army, are open to provide services to anyone who may need it."

The agency believes that the water supply might be affected, and at the request of the Government, it is transporting emergency items – including water-purification tablets, water containers, oral rehydration salts and water tanks with a 10,000-litre capacity – from Panama to the Peruvian capital, Lima.

"Our first priority is for the affected population to have safe water," said Ms. Bauer.

UNICEF is also working with the Ministry of Education to evaluation the quake's impact on schools. "Fortunately, when the earthquake happened the schools were all closed," said Ms. Bauer. "Today, all children of the country are not going to school because of the emergency. We know there is a high number of schools that have been destroyed."

A UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) team has been deployed and should arrive in Peru shortly to assist those impacted by the earthquake, whose epicentre was 161 kilometres south of Lima.

The Government has requested relief supplies such as shelter, tools and medicine, and it is working with the UN Country Team and the international community to identify the most urgent needs.

The UN Resident Coordinator in the South American country has activated the Emergency Operations Centre on a 24-hour basis, and has also informed the Government that an emergency cash grant to support assessment work is available.

Several UN agencies have received requests for assistance, and their responses are being coordinated by the UN Disaster Management Team (UNDMT), while the UN Emergency Technical Team (UNETT) is on standby to help should the Government request it.

A donors' meeting, also attended by the Government, took place today. Yesterday, OCHA and the UN Development Programme (<"http://content.undp.org/go/newsroom/;jsessionid=aYITgqjL82r8">UNDP) announced that they had released two grants totalling $200,000 to provide immediate relief in the earthquake's aftermath.

Meanwhile, the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2603">WFP) announced yesterday that it will provide $500,000 worth of urgently-needed food relief to victims of the country's earthquake.

UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Margareta Wahlström said at a press briefing in New York today that several of Peru's neighbours – Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile and Mexico – have provided supplies.

"I think you can see importantly a huge effort is done in the near region," she said.

The Government, she said, has approved a compensation scheme of $312 per family member killed, and $1875 will be provided per family to reconstruct their homes.
2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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UN REFUGEE AGENCY OPENS NEW PASSAGEWAY TO AID SUDANESE RETURNS FROM UGANDA

UN REFUGEE AGENCY OPENS NEW PASSAGEWAY TO AID SUDANESE RETURNS FROM UGANDA
New York, Aug 17 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (<"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46c5c2194.html">UNHCR) has stepped up efforts to repatriate Sudanese refugees living in Uganda with the opening of a major new return corridor in South Sudan.

The new route, which runs through the Sudanese town of Nimule, links the refugee settlements in Uganda with Eastern Equatoria state in South Sudan.

Some 70 per cent of the 160,000 Sudanese refugees living in a string of 11 camps in Uganda are from Sudan's Central and Eastern Equatoria States.

A first convoy carrying 133 Sudanese refugees from two camps in Uganda's Hoima district arrived last Wednesday in Nimule.

"People [in the convoy] were very happy to be back," said Chris Hamm, head of the UNHCR team in the town of Nimule, which is located in Magwi County.

Until recently, UNHCR was not able to operate in Magwi due to activities by the rebel Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) in the area. However, improved security conditions following an LRA withdrawal from the area several months ago have encouraged refugees to return.

"Since March this year, no security incident attributed to LRA or other armed groups has been reported in Nimule or Magwi. Many of the displaced people have started to return to their villages," Hamm noted. "We feel that the situation is gradually conducive for repatriation."

The opening of a third return corridor was agreed on at a meeting in Kampala last May between UNHCR and the Governments of Uganda and Sudan amid improving security on both sides of the border. The other routes from Uganda are Moyo–Kajo Keji and Arua–Yei–Juba.

With the additional return route now open, UNHCR expects growing numbers of Sudanese to opt for return this year.

Some 157,000 Sudanese refugees have so far returned to South Sudan and Blue Nile state since the launch of voluntary repatriation to Sudan in December 2005.
2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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UN RELIEF AGENCIES APPEAL FOR AT LEAST $10 MILLION TO TACKLE SUDANESE FLOODS

UN RELIEF AGENCIES APPEAL FOR AT LEAST $10 MILLION TO TACKLE SUDANESE FLOODS
New York, Aug 17 2007 5:00PM
United Nations humanitarian agencies and their partner non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are launching an appeal for more than $10 million to deal with widespread floods in Sudan that have destroyed thousands of homes and inundated farmlands, towns and villages.

The UN has already allocated $4.76 million from its locally-managed Common Humanitarian Fund (CHF) to help in relief efforts, but the world body's humanitarian arm says much more is needed as it joins NGOs in stepping up efforts to help the estimated 365,000 Sudanese who have been affected by the floods.

Stephanie Bunker, a spokesperson for the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, said the humanitarian community is still assessing exactly what the overall needs are of the people affected. A particular concern is the provision of safe drinking water.

"However, despite incomplete assessments, more than $10 million on the ground will be needed," she said.

The Office of the Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Sudan says at least 30,000 homes have been destroyed by the floods, which began last month following torrential rains and have been concentrated in the east, centre and south of the country. Another 150,000 people have been left without shelter.

More than 40,000 hectares of cropland has been damaged, while farmers have also lost over 12,000 livestock and 16,000 chickens.

The UN is working closely with the Sudanese Government and aid groups to coordinate the relief response, particularly given forecasts that the country faces further serious flood threats until the end of the wet season next month.
2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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SAUDI BECOMES UN HUMANITARIAN ENVOY IN MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA

SAUDI BECOMES UN HUMANITARIAN ENVOY IN MIDDLE EAST AND NORTH AFRICA
New York, Aug 17 2007 4:00PM
The United Nations humanitarian chief today welcomed the recent appointment of a special envoy tasked with ensuring there is more effective coordination between UN relief efforts and those of governments and aid groups in the Middle East and North Africa.

Abdulaziz bin Mohamed Arrukban of Saudi Arabia became the Secretary-General's Special Humanitarian Envoy on 10 July, with a special focus on building partnerships for disaster response. His initial appointment is for one year.

Mr. Arrukban was previously Special International Ambassador for the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP).

John Holmes, Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, said Mr. Arrukban brought extensive knowledge to the post.

"I expect that his renewed commitment to work with the United Nations will be of great benefit to the humanitarian community and especially to the suffering people we serve," he said in a statement.
2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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LEBANON: BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES DUTCH AGREEMENT TO HOST HARIRI TRIBUNAL

LEBANON: BAN KI-MOON WELCOMES DUTCH AGREEMENT TO HOST HARIRI TRIBUNAL
New York, Aug 17 2007 4:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today welcomed the Netherlands' decision to agree to host the Special Tribunal for Lebanon, which is being set up to prosecute those people responsible for the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri.

In a <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2709">statement issued by his spokesperson, Mr. Ban said he was pleased to receive a letter on Wednesday from Dutch Prime Minister Jan Peter Balkenende "informing him that the Government of the Netherlands is favourably disposed to hosting" the Tribunal.

Mr. Ban, who is in the process of taking the steps and measures necessary to establishing the Tribunal, will send a delegation to the Netherlands in the coming weeks to discuss the practical arrangements required for creating and operating the court.

In June, a senior UN official told reporters that it is likely to take at least a year for the Special Tribunal to begin operations as, in addition to finding a location, funds have to be generated, judges and other officials have to be appointed and security arrangements for staff, victims and witnesses must be determined.

According to the applicable rules, the Tribunal will not be established until there are sufficient financial contributions to create the court and run it for a year and enough pledges to meet the expected expenses of another two years.

The senior UN official said about $30 million could be needed to finance the court's first year, but that amount may change depending on whether the Tribunal is housed in existing buildings, a renovated complex or an entirely new structure.

In a letter to the Dutch Government last month, Mr. Ban "emphasized that the experience and knowledge gained by the Netherlands in hosting several international courts and tribunals was invaluable," according to his spokesperson's statement.

The Dutch city of The Hague is already host to the International Court of Justice (<"http://www.icj-cij.org/homepage/index.php?lang=en">ICJ), the International Criminal Court <"http://www.icc-cpi.int/home.html&l=en">(ICC) and the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (<"http://www.un.org/icty/">ICTY), while the Special Court for Sierra Leone (<"http://www.sc-sl.org/">SCSL) will also hold its trial of the notorious former Liberian president Charles Taylor there.

Mr. Hariri died in a massive car bombing in Beirut in February 2005 that took the lives of 22 other people. The UN International Independent Investigation Commission (IIIC) is currently probing that attack, as well as 17 other recent cases in Lebanon.

Those other cases include the killing of the Lebanese lawmaker Walid Eido, who died along with seven others in June in another explosion in Beirut.
2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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UN STAFF AROUND THE WORLD GATHER IN REMEMBRANCE OF 2003 BAGHDAD ATTACK

UN STAFF AROUND THE WORLD GATHER IN REMEMBRANCE OF 2003 BAGHDAD ATTACK
New York, Aug 17 2007 3:00PM
United Nations staff members across the globe today solemnly commemorated the fourth anniversary of the bombing at Baghdad's Canal Hotel, where nearly two dozen people were killed and scores more injured in the deadliest attack against the world body's civilian personnel in history.

In Addis Ababa, Baghdad, Bangkok, Geneva, Nairobi, New York, Santiago, Vienna and other locations, staff members gathered in remembrance of the 19 August 2003 truck bomb attack against the UN headquarters in Baghdad, which took the lives of 22 and wounded more than 150. Among those killed was Sergio Vieira de Mello, the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Iraq and head of the UN mission in the country.

"This was the first time the United Nations was deliberately targeted on such a massive scale," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon <"http://www.un.org/apps/sg/sgstats.asp?nid=2708">said at the UN Headquarters ceremony. "The bomb detonated at our Baghdad headquarters robbed us of our best and brightest and injured many more, but it also shattered any illusion that the UN's ideals and impartiality permitted us to operate above the fray in Iraq."

The Security Council's recent decision to strengthen the mandate of the UN mission in Iraq "is an opportunity to carry forward the work of Sergio Vieira de Mello and his colleagues," the Secretary-General said, adding that he understood the "fears and concerns" of staff members about the move.

"Any such measure remains strictly subject to conditions on the ground," he stressed. "Your safety is and always will be a paramount concern."

"At the same time, the terrorists who struck so cruelly in Baghdad must, one day, be brought to justice," he said, standing before a memorial to the victims and a frame holding the tattered UN flag which survived the bombing. "There can be no impunity for such murderers."

The Secretary-General said his thoughts are with the survivors of the Baghdad bombing, and the families of those who died, and also paid tribute "to the brave men and women who continue to serve the United Nations, in Iraq and beyond."

UN staff members around the world gathered and observed a minute of silence to honour the memory of the victims. Wreath-laying ceremonies were held in Geneva and New York, while staff in Santiago held a candle-lighting ceremony.

At the Geneva ceremony, the Director-General of the UN Office there, Sergei A. Ordzhonikidze, stressed that time only strengthens the resolve to ensure that the lives and contributions of those who perished were not forgotten. "We vow to take forward their quest for peace as the most appropriate tribute to their memory," he said, adding that by "building on their legacy, we continue to assist the Iraqi people."

Mr. Ordzhonikidze said the adoption last week of Security Council Resolution 1770 to renew and strengthen the mandate of the UN Assistance Mission for Iraq (UNAMI) "demonstrates the Organization's unwavering commitment to helping the Iraqi people to shape a prosperous and peaceful future."

He paid tribute to the victims' deep sense of commitment to the noble cause of peace and to the service of who needed them the most. "Let us all be inspired – not just today, but every day – by their drive and dedication, by their sense of responsibility, by their steadfast belief in the values and principles of this Organization, and by their determination and ability to act upon this belief."

In Nairobi, 100 staff members gathered outside the main entrance of the Sergio Vieira de Mello Library located in the UN headquarters complex for a commemorative ceremony.

Achim Steiner, the Executive Director of the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) and acting Director-General of the UN Office at Nairobi, read the Secretary-General's message before the minute of silence was observed.

Following a speech by the President of the Staff Union, Michael Mwangi, Eric Falt, the Director of the UN Information Centre in Nairobi, which organized the ceremony, requested that staff who had been given single-stem flowers place them in the Pond of Remembrance located just off the main entrance of the library.

The Sergio Vieira de Mello Library is but one of several lasting tributes to the victims of the bombing. Officials from the American University in Cairo (AUC) set up the Nadia Younes Memorial Fund, which honours the legacy of the late Egyptian UN staffer who was killed in the attack by supporting education and opportunity for students.

Among its projects, the Fund has supported the Nadia Younes Conference and Meeting Room at AUC's Model United Nations Centre, the Nadia Younes Annual Lecture, and the Nadia Younes Award for Public and Humanitarian Service.

Jean-Selim Kanaan, a national of Egypt and France who was among the victims, was awarded France's Legion of Honour for his work in helping the world's weak and oppressed, while the UN renamed annual training programme for young journalists in honour of Reham Al-Farra, the first female daily political columnist in her native Jordan who was also killed in the Baghdad blast.

In addition to these four individuals, various tributes have also been paid to each of the other victims: Emaad Ahmed Salman Al-Jobory, Raid Shaker Mustafa Al-Mahdawi
Leen Assad Al-Quadi, Ranilo Buenaventura, Rick Hooper, Reza Hosseini, Ihssan Taha Husain, Christopher Klein-Beekman, Martha Teas, Basim Mahmood Utaiwi, Fiona Watson, Saad Hermiz Abona, Omar Kahtan Mohamed Al-Orfali, Gillian Clark,
Arthur Helton, Manuel Martín-Oar, Khidir Saleem Sahir and Alya Ahmad Sousa.
2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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AFTER ANOTHER JOURNALIST'S MURDER, UN URGES DR CONGO TO BOOST PROTECTION FOR MEDIA

AFTER ANOTHER JOURNALIST'S MURDER, UN URGES DR CONGO TO BOOST PROTECTION FOR MEDIA
New York, Aug 17 2007 2:00PM
The United Nations peacekeeping mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) has called on the authorities to reinforce protection for the media following the murders of a journalist and local government official in the strife-torn eastern region of the vast country.

"The past week was marked by new assassinations that appear to be deliberately targeted, such as the assassination of an independent photo reporter in Goma, as well as the killing of a local official in Nyamilima village in Rutshuru," mission spokesperson Kemal Saiki told a weekly press briefing.

The mission, known by its French acronym <"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/">MONUC, "condemned to the full the cowardly assassination" of independent photo reporter Patrick Kikuku Wilungala in Goma, North Kivu province, on the night of 9/10 August by an unidentified armed man a few metres from his home.
<p"MONUC wishes to extend its profoundest condolences to Mr. Wilungula's family and the Congolese media, hit again through an act of violence by armed men," Mr. Saiki said.

"MONUC's human rights division will spare no effort in investigating this murder, and will do all within its means to ensure that the perpetrators are brought before justice."
The assassination followed the June murder, also by armed men, of Radio Okapi journalist Serge Maheshe in Bukavu in South Kivu province. The trial of those charged is currently underway.

MONUC reiterated its appeal to the Congolese authorities to do all within their power to allow media representatives to work freely, without hindrance or intimidation.

The local official killed in Rutshuru on 13 August during an attack on Nyamilima village and its army positions by a group believed to be ethnic Hutu combatants, with much subsequent looting, was the last official left in the village as his colleagues had left some months before due to threats and intimidation. MONUC sent a rapid reaction force to the village to ensure no civilians would be trapped in the fighting.

The force found the body of the official, named Muzana, as well as that of a 12-year-old girl, both of whom had been visibly targeted by the assailants.

MONUC reiterated its concern over continuing human rights violations and attacks on civilians, in particular by the various rebel groups and security forces in North Kivu. According to the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) 640,000 people were driven from their homes by fighting in North and South Kivu provinces in June and July.

Last week the Security Council expressed particular concern over the situation in the two the provinces and the Ituri district, where militia groups remain active and help to "perpetuate a climate of insecurity in the whole region."

MONUC has overseen the DRC's transition from a six-year civil war that cost 4 million lives in fighting and attendant hunger and disease, widely considered the most lethal conflict in the world since World War II, to gradual stabilization, culminating in the first democratic elections in over four decades last year, the largest and most complex polls the UN has ever helped to organize.
2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY SECTOR REFORM KEY TO BRINGING STABILITY TO TIMOR-LESTE, UN SAYS

SECURITY SECTOR REFORM KEY TO BRINGING STABILITY TO TIMOR-LESTE, UN SAYS
New York, Aug 17 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations peacekeeping mission helping Timor-Leste recover from fighting last year that drove 15 per cent of the population from their homes has called for improved relations between the police and army, a strengthened legal framework, increased capacity and enhanced civil oversight as part of overall security sector reform.

"The strengthening of the army and police will be crucial to the development of Timor-Leste as a modernizing State and the United Nations will assist the Government in achieving a security sector that is efficient, effective and accountable," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Special Representative Atul Khare said at a meeting this week with leaders of the small South-East Asian country that the UN helped shepherd to independence from Indonesia in 2002.

At the meeting attended by leaders of the national military and police, President José Ramos-Horta and the Prime Minister Xanana Gusmão both gave opening addresses welcoming UN assistance in addressing the challenges facing the security sector.

Participants agreed that civil society should have a larger role in the reform process.

Mr. Khare, who heads the UN Integrated Mission in Timor-Leste (<"http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/unmit/index.html">UNMIT) said he agreed with both the President and Prime Minister about the need to look at the road traveled to avoid pitfalls in the future.

He also pledged UNMIT's continued help for the Timorese people and authorities in bolstering the security sector.

The mission enhanced its peacekeeping and policing roles after violence attributed to differences between eastern and western regions broke out in April and May last year, killing at least 37 people and forcing 155,000 others to flee their homes.

The country has been beset by renewed unrest this month following the appointment of a new Government after elections in June failed to produce a single outright winner. There have been nu
arson and rock throwing in which nearly 400 houses were burned or damaged, at least 4,000 people driven from their homes, a UN convoy attacked and more than a score of UN vehicles damaged.

2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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UN LAW OF THE SEA TRIBUNAL WELCOMES RELEASE OF JAPANESE VESSEL AND CREW

UN LAW OF THE SEA TRIBUNAL WELCOMES RELEASE OF JAPANESE VESSEL AND CREW
New York, Aug 17 2007 1:00PM
The United Nations International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (<"http://www.itlos.org/start2_en.html">ITLOS) today welcomed news that authorities in the Russian Federation have released a Japanese fishing vessel and its crew -- detained for alleged illegal fishing in Russian waters -- in line with a Tribunal decision earlier this month.

Russia released the Hoshinmaru and its crew yesterday, the same day it received a bond from the ship's owner, according to a press release issued by the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The Hoshinmaru is now on its way back to Japan, where it is scheduled to arrive on Sunday.

On 6 August, the Tribunal ruled that the Hoshinmaru and its crew should be released promptly from the port city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskii, upon the payment of a bond of 10 million roubles, or about $392,000. The decision followed an application by Japan to ITLOS, which is based in Hamburg, Germany, in which it argued that Russia had breached its obligations under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.

"With the payment of the bond and the release of the Hoshinmaru and its crew only 10 days after the delivery of the Tribunal's judgment, the Tribunal notes the prompt compliance of the parties with its decision," ITLOS said in a press release issued today.

2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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UNESCO CHIEF DEPLORES MURDER OF YET ANOTHER JOURNALIST IN IRAQ

UNESCO CHIEF DEPLORES MURDER OF YET ANOTHER JOURNALIST IN IRAQ
New York, Aug 17 2007 1:00PM
The head of the United Nations agency tasked with defending press freedom today condemned the murder of yet another journalist in Iraq, where some 40 media professionals have been killed this year alone.

Koïchiro Matsuura, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (<"http://portal.unesco.org/en/ev.php-URL_ID=29008&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html">UNESCO), issued a statement deploring the killing of Adnane al-Safi, who died after being shot in the head by a sniper on his way home from work in northern Baghdad on 27 July.

Mr. al-Safi, 40, was a journalist with Al-Anwar, a Kuwaiti-owned satellite television channel, and had worked as a reporter for the radio station Sawt al-Iraq (Voice of Iraq) and as an adviser to the Iraqi journalists' union.

"The murder of Adnane al-Safi strikes yet another blow against peace and democracy in Iraq," Mr. Matsuura said. "His killers stand condemned in the eyes of the world, and I call upon the authorities in Iraq to do their utmost to bring those responsible to justice."

Mr. Matsuura also renewed his call for Iraqi authorities to improve the security conditions for media workers trying to operate in the violence-wracked country. According to the group Reporters sans Frontières, Mr. al-Safi is the 40th journalist to be killed in Iraq this year, far more than in any other nation in the world. Since United States-led forces invaded in March 2003, 198 journalists and their assistants have been killed, 14 have been kidnapped and two others are missing.

2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY LAUNCHES NEW FOOD PROGRAMME FOR STRIFE-TORN YEMENI PROVINCE

UN AGENCY LAUNCHES NEW FOOD PROGRAMME FOR STRIFE-TORN YEMENI PROVINCE
New York, Aug 17 2007 12:00PM
The United Nations World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/">WFP) has launched a new $1.3-million three-month operation to aid 36,000 people displaced by fighting in north-west Yemen, cautioning that the number of those assisted could rise once security constraints are lifted and the area is fully accessible.

"Our assessment of the humanitarian situation indicated that food assistance must continue," WFP country representative Mohamed El Kouhene said after approval of the new programme yesterday for the Sa'ada Governorate.

"However, it is hoped that during this period, a durable ceasefire agreement and a political solution to the crisis will be reached and maintained. This would enable the displaced to return to their homes and resume their regular livelihood activities," he added.

The operation continues a WFP programme which started two months ago when 20,000 displaced people received assistance. The number of persons to receive food during the new operation has increased by 16,000 due to improved security and better access to the needy in more remote areas of the governorate.

The Yemeni Government will continue to support the operation by providing security and logistics assistance to WFP. "WFP's first rapid response to the emergency needs in Sa'ada has been highly appreciated, and we are thankful that WFP will continue to provide food assistance for another three months due to the continuous need," Yemeni Planning and International Cooperation Minister Abdulkarim Al-Ar'habi said.

Besides this three-month operation, WFP has a new $48-million, five-year country programme (2007-2011) for 1 million Yemenis, aimed at expanding girls' access to education and improving the health and nutritional status of malnourished children under five, pregnant and lactating women and tuberculosis and leprosy patients. To date, the programme has received nearly $5.7 million in donations.

WFP also supplies food t
and in the Kharaz Refugee camp located in Lahj Governorate.

2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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FOOD SITUATION IN SOUTH ASIA FOLLOWING FLOODS 'SERIOUS CAUSE OF CONCERN,' UN REPORTS

FOOD SITUATION IN SOUTH ASIA FOLLOWING FLOODS 'SERIOUS CAUSE OF CONCERN,' UN REPORTS
New York, Aug 17 2007 12:00PM
The food situation in South Asia, where torrential rains resulted in deadly flash floods and landslides that affected more than 28 million people, gives "serious cause for concern" because of the loss of animals and unfavorable crop prospects following damage to recently planted crops, according to the latest United Nations update.

"Opportunities for replanting once the water has fully receded are limited as the sowing period of the main cereal season normally ends in July in India and Bangladesh and by mid-August in Nepal," the UN Food and Agriculture Organization (<"http://www.fao.org/">FAO) said in a news release.

In Nepal, the affected agro-ecological zone of Terai (plains) is the country's grain basket, accounting for over 70 per cent of the total production of rice, the basic staple. Though water levels have receded from the second week of August, thousands of hectares of agricultural land have been destroyed at the peak of the planting season.

While a detailed assessment of crop losses is not yet available, the overall outlook for this year's production has deteriorated. At sub-national level, food shortages in the Terai, affected by drought and floods in 2006, are likely to worsen.

In Bangladesh, preliminary official estimates indicate that some 854,000 hectares of rice paddies have been lost to floods and another 582,000 hectares partially damaged. In aggregate, the area affected represents some 13 per cent of the total planted area, seriously compromising prospects for this year rice production.

In India, where the three worst flood-affected states of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Assam account for roughly a quarter of the country's total rice production, preliminary reports indicate that about 1 million hectares of cereal land have been submerged in Bihar alone.

While this year's cereal production is likely to be reduced in these three north-eastern states, output at national level will
weather conditions in the coming months, according to FAO.

2007-08-17 00:00:00.000

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UNITED NATIONS RUSHES AID TO QUAKE-HIT PERU

UNITED NATIONS RUSHES AID TO QUAKE-HIT PERU
New York, Aug 16 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations is rushing food, water purification tablets, cash and other forms of assistance to Peru following last night's powerful earthquake which struck south of the capital, Lima.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) reported that 450 people have lost their lives in earthquake, measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale, whose epicentre was 161 kilometres away from Lima.

Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today expressed his deep sadness at learning of the deaths and destruction resulting from the quake and pledged continued assistance to those affected, his spokesperson Michele Montas said in a statement.

"The United Nations is in close contact with the Government of Peru and stands ready to support relief efforts with measures, including the release of emergency funds and the deployment of a team of disaster assessment and coordination experts," she added.

At least 1,500 people have been injured and nearly 400 homes destroyed by the tremors which had a depth of 30 km, OCHA noted. Hotels, health centres and hospitals have been affected, and in some areas, electricity and communications have been impacted.

OCHA and the UN Development Programme (UNDP) announced today that they had released two grants totalling $200,000 to provide immediate relief in the earthquake's aftermath.

Nearly $1 million has been mobilized among several UN agencies on the ground, and a UN Disaster Assessment and Coordination (UNDAC) and search-and-rescue teams are on standby to assist, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Margareta Wahlström told reporters at UN Headquarters today.

On the part of the Peruvian Government, which has declared a state of emergency in the Department of Ica, "there is a well-organized search-and-rescue effort and lots of resources being put into place," she said.

As a disaster-prone country, Peru is "quite well-endowed with its own resources" and has "s

However, Ms. Wahlström added that "we stand ready, of course, to put more resources into Peru."

The Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator said that given the "total" destruction of houses in some areas, it is likely that the numbers of deaths and injuries will climb.

In a related development, the UN World Food Programme (WFP) announced today that following a request for assistance from the Peruvian Government, it will provide $500,000 worth of urgently-needed food relief to victims of the country's earthquake.

The supplies -- which will be distributed by PRONAA, the national programme for food assistance -- are part of in-country stocks the agency uses for its development work.

"These food-stocks have enabled us to respond in just over 12 hours' time which means that we are hopefully off to a good start in alleviating some of the suffering and devastation unleashed by this disaster," said <"http://www.wfp.org/english/?n=31">WFP Country Director Guy Gauvreau.

"We need to act as quickly as possible because the situation is already bad and we still don't know the full extent of the damage in all the outlying areas," he added.

The agency said it also stands ready to send up to 130 metric tons of high energy biscuits by air or overland transport from its sub-regional emergency hub in Ecuador.

"We fear the death toll could increase and that many survivors will need immediate assistance until the local infrastructure and distribution systems are restored," Mr. Gauvreau said.

Meanwhile, the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) Representative in Peru, Guido Cornale, expressed concern at the increasing number of casualties and announced that the agency will rush aid to those affected. "The United Nations' organizations in Peru are coordinating their response. <"http://www.unicef.org/media/media_40618.html">UNICEF will be distributing water-purification tablets, water containers, oral rehydration salts and water tanks with a 10,000-liter capacity," he said.

One challenge relief workers could potentially face is di
conditions. Initial reports indicated that parts of the Pan-American Highway were damaged, while road conditions in more remote areas are still not fully known.

2007-08-16 00:00:00.000

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SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS DEADLY BLASTS IN NORTHERN IRAQ

SECURITY COUNCIL CONDEMNS DEADLY BLASTS IN NORTHERN IRAQ
New York, Aug 16 2007 6:00PM
The Security Council today condemned this week's series of coordinated bombings in northern Iraq that killed hundreds of people and left many more wounded, urging the country's people to end their continuing sectarian violence.

Media reports say that at least 200 people and possibly as many as 400 were killed as a result of Tuesday's blasts in two villages in Ninawah province, apparently aimed at the Yazidi religious community in that area.

Council members joined Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, who issued his own statement yesterday, in condemning the attacks "in the strongest terms" and extending their condolences to the victims and their families, Ambassador Pascal Gayama of the Republic of Congo, which holds the rotating Council presidency this month, said in a statement to the press.

Mr. Gayama said the attacks "were aimed at widening the sectarian and ethnic divide in Iraq."

He also reaffirmed the 15-member panel's support for Iraq's people and Government "as they rebuild their country," and reiterated the need to "promote national dialogue, reconciliation and broad political participation to ensure unity, peace, security, stability and the cessation of sectarian violence."

The press statement also reiterated the Council's call on UN Member States to prevent the transit of terrorists to and from Iraq and to refrain providing arms or financing that would support terrorists.

2007-08-16 00:00:00.000

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UN MISSION STARTS PROCESS FOR NEW LOCAL ELECTIONS IN KOSOVO

UN MISSION STARTS PROCESS FOR NEW LOCAL ELECTIONS IN KOSOVO
New York, Aug 16 2007 6:00PM
The United Nations Mission in Kosovo (UNMIK) today kick started the process to conduct new local elections in the province, which the world body has run since western forces drove out Yugoslav troops in 1999 amid ethnic fighting.

Principal Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General in Kosovo Steven Schook today signed an Executive Decision which authorizes the Central Elections Commission to start technical preparations for the election of new mayors, municipal assembly members and members of the national assembly.

"As Special Representative Joachim Rücker has said, it is UNMIK's position that the democratic process in Kosovo should move forward," said Mr. Schook. "The legislative framework for the holding of elections is being finalized and will be promulgated before the end of this month."

At the same time, he cautioned that the elections should not interfere with the resolution of final status -- an issue that is the subject of a new round of negotiations launched by a "troika" of representatives of the United States, Europe and the Russian Federation.

"We will be monitoring the negotiation process very closely over the coming months," Mr. Schook said.

The Executive Decision came a day after he started a new round of visits to Serb-speaking villages in the south of Kosovo. On Wednesday, Mr. Schook urged the Kosovo Serbs in Gorazdavac to fully participate in the democratic process.

He said that Mr. Rückerwould announce next month the specific date for the elections.

2007-08-16 00:00:00.000

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DRAWDOWN FOR LIBERIAN PEACEKEEPING MISSION ON TRACK, SAYS BAN KI-MOON

DRAWDOWN FOR LIBERIAN PEACEKEEPING MISSION ON TRACK, SAYS BAN KI-MOON
New York, Aug 16 2007 6:00PM
Although Liberia faces formidable challenges as it rebuilds after a brutal 14-year civil war, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has called for the drawdown of the level of blue helmets in the West African nation.

The Government of Liberian President Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf has "made great strides in consolidating peace and promoting economic recovery in the country," Mr. Ban says in his latest report to the Security Council on the country's situation.

He praises the Government's achievements, including efforts towards lifting timber and diamond sanctions; bolstering public revenues by nearly 50 per cent; implementing an interim poverty reduction strategy; increasing enrolment in schools by 40 per cent; and improving the country's human right situation.

The Secretary-General also commends Liberia's efforts to halt illegal diamond mining -- which have led to the lifting of sanctions on diamonds as well as the country's admission into the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme -- and encourages the Government to strengthen its regulation of this crucial sector.

Despite the country's progress, Mr. Ban notes that the "slow progress in strengthening the security sector is a source of great concern."

He also cites the hurdles of limited funding and equipment faced by the Liberian National Police. "These deficiencies are a major obstacle to the full deployment of the deployment of the police throughout the country," Mr. Ban says, appealing to the international community for assistance.

"President Johnson-Sirleaf is to be commended for the positive steps that she has taken to foster national reconciliation and political inclusiveness in the country," he writes. "However, the ethnic and social cleavages that have plagued the country in the past could still resurface."

Mr. Ban calls on the Government to step up efforts towards national and local reconciliation to maintain peace in the country recovering from a civil war tha
fleeing across its borders.

While recommending that the mandate of the UN Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) be extended for 12 months until September 2008, he urges the Security Council to approve measures to draw down the world body's presence in the country.

"Sufficient progress has been made in the implementation of the Mission's mandate and in stabilizing the security situation in the country to allow for further adjustments to be made to the military and police components of UNMIL," the report states.

The drawdown for both the military and police component would take place in multiple stages, resulting in 9,750 peacekeeping troops and UN police on the ground in Liberia at the end of 2010. One of the benchmarks for the drawdown is the creation of a 500-person Liberian quick reaction force in the country's National Police, set to be established by July 2009.

UNMIL was established in 2003 to support Liberia's ceasefire and peace process, and currently has over 14,000 troops and nearly 1,200 police officers, along with around 500 international civilian personnel, almost 1,000 local staff and 220 UN Volunteers.

2007-08-16 00:00:00.000

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UN-HABITAT LAUNCHES GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF PUBLIC WATER OPERATORS

UN-HABITAT LAUNCHES GLOBAL ALLIANCE OF PUBLIC WATER OPERATORS
New York, Aug 16 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations agency tasked with promoting socially and environmentally sustainable housing has launched a new worldwide alliance with water operators that aims to improve to clean water and basic sanitation in impoverished communities.

The new Global Water Operators Partnership Alliance is designed to strengthen the capacities of the public water operators that provide more than 90 per cent of water and sanitation services in developing nations.

The operators will be able to share information more easily with each other and draw on professional capacity and other resources provided by governments and donor agencies, the UN Settlements Programme (<"http://www.unhabitat.org/content.asp?cid=5088&catid=5&typeid=6&subMenuId=0">UN-HABITAT) said in a press statement released yesterday.

The Alliance is expected to cost $7 million to run in its first three years, with UN-HABITAT to provide $1.8 million of that and Alliance partners to contribute the rest.

Speaking at yesterday's launch of the initiative at the Stockholm World Water Week, UN-HABITAT Executive Director Anna Tibaijuka said the Alliance would form a key part of efforts to meet one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) that calls for halving the proportion of people without access to safe drinking water, by 2015.

In 2002 in Johannesburg the World Summit on Sustainable Development also set a target to halve by 2015 the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation.

Earlier this week, Mrs. Tibaijuka told a symposium being held in Stockholm that water will become the dominant global issue this century, and the availability of its supply could threaten the world's social stability.

The UN-HABITAT chief said rapid urbanization is placing enormous pressure on the availability of clean water and other natural resources, especially for the poor, and she called for "a fundamental change" in the way the world approaches water and sanitation to e
clean water remains affordable for all for future generations.

UN statistics indicate that, for the first time in history, this year more people live in cities than in rural areas -- and that by 2030 the global urban population will reach 60 per cent.

The Alliance was formally launched yesterday by the Prince of Orange, Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, in his capacity as the Chairperson of the UN Secretary-General's Advisory Board on Water and Sanitation.

2007-08-16 00:00:00.000

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NUMBER OF UN-ASSISTED RETURNEES TO BURUNDI TOPS 350,000

NUMBER OF UN-ASSISTED RETURNEES TO BURUNDI TOPS 350,000
New York, Aug 16 2007 5:00PM
Over the past five years, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has helped over 350,000 Burundian refugees return to their homes, under one of the agency's largest repatriation programmes in Africa.

The 350,000 landmark was passed on Tuesday, when convoys carrying more than 1,500 refugees crossed the border with Tanzania and arrived at three <"http://www.unhcr.org/news/NEWS/46c3238f4.html">UNHCR transit centres in the provinces of Makamba, Ruyigi and Muyinga.

In addition to helping some 270,000 return home, the agency has also assisted around 80,000 who returned to Burundi on their own. It has supported the reintegration of returnees by funding housing schemes, legal assistance programmes and the reconstruction of clinics and health centres.

Some 12,300 Burundians have returned home this year, more than 8,000 since July. UNHCR plans to repatriate some 65,000 during the whole year, including 60,000 from camps in the main host country, Tanzania. There are also large numbers in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC).

The pace of returns this year has increased since July, when UNHCR introduced a cash grant of $45 to each returnee to help them get started once back in Burundi. Those returning on Tuesday received the first instalment of the cash grant as well as supplies such as blankets, plastic sheeting, tools and seeds.

The returnees also received food packages from the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2599">WFP), which on Tuesday appealed to donors for at least $20 million for increased aid to help many of those returning to Burundi.

Bo Schack, UNHCR's representative in Burundi, called for greater international efforts to improve socio-economic conditions in the country. "The extreme poverty in many areas of return remains a big challenge. These are important development needs which go far beyond UNHCR's limited resources for humanitarian needs

UNHCR began facilitating the repatriation of Burundian refugees in April 2002 and has actively promoted repatriation since June 2006 as the security situation continued to improve in the small Central African country that is recovering from decades of devastating ethnic war.

2007-08-16 00:00:00.000

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SECRETARY-GENERAL PRAISES ASIAN REGIONAL BODY'S EFFORTS AGAINST CRIME, CONFLICT

SECRETARY-GENERAL PRAISES ASIAN REGIONAL BODY'S EFFORTS AGAINST CRIME, CONFLICT
New York, Aug 16 2007 5:00PM
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization has emerged as a key regional forum for tackling the threats posed by terrorism, drug trafficking and conflict, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon told the seventh summit of heads of State of the six-member grouping today.

In a message delivered on his behalf by Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe, Mr. Ban praised the participants at the summit -- taking place in Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan -- for their willingness to work together at a time when so many major international problems transcend national borders.

"You have been at the forefront of efforts to strengthen mutual trust, dialogue and cooperation in a large part of Asia," he said. "Your Member States have launched concrete projects and developed important frameworks for addressing security in all its dimensions -- political, military, economic and environmental.

"You are demonstrating an active commitment to fighting the global scourge of terrorism -- by taking important political, legal and operational measures against this existential threat; by recognizing that terrorism hurts all nations, large and small, and takes its toll on people of every income, culture and religion."

Formed in the Chinese city of the same name in 2001, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization comprises China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, six nations with a combined population of about 1.5 billion, or a quarter of the global total.

Mr. Ban's message welcomed the way the Organization has begun initiatives to improve access to technology, boost investment and trade, and develop infrastructure -- measures he said would help to "counter the negative trends of separatism and extremism."

The Secretary-General added that he was delighted by the close working contacts that the grouping has now established with several United Nations entities and said he looked forward to even c
in the future.

2007-08-16 00:00:00.000

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UN CONCERNED AT APPOINTMENT OF JUDGE ON KHMER ROUGE TRIBUNAL TO NATIONAL COURT

UN CONCERNED AT APPOINTMENT OF JUDGE ON KHMER ROUGE TRIBUNAL TO NATIONAL COURT
New York, Aug 16 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations today voiced concern over the appointment to the Cambodian Court of Appeal of a judge already serving on the UN-backed tribunal trying Khmer Rouge leaders accused of mass killings and torture during the late 1970s, saying it could affect both the efficiency and perceived independence of the body.

Extraordinary Chamber in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) Co-Investigating Judge You Bun Leng was appointed President of the Cambodian Court of Appeal by royal decree on 9 August. The UN is seeking further clarification from the Cambodian authorities.

Under an agreement signed by the UN and Cambodia, the trial court and a Supreme Court within the Cambodian legal system will investigate those most responsible for crimes and serious violations of Cambodian and international law under Khmer Rouge rule between 17 April 1975 and 6 January 1979, when hundreds of thousands people were killed.

"The United Nations is concerned about the effect of the Decree's implementation on the efficiency of the proceedings currently before the court," the UN Assistance to the Khmer Rouge Trials (UNAKRT) said in a press statement.

"The United Nations is also concerned about the impact of the Royal Decree on the perceived independence of the ECCC," it added.

In a statement released by UNAKRT You Bun Leng said that as long as the ECCC considered his presence essential it was his duty to continue, ensuring there was no interruption or delay in the process, until such time as an appropriate and smooth transition can be made.

"I have already begun consultation with my staff and my international counterpart to reach a mutually acceptable and constructive solution that does not disrupt our work," he said, noting that while the ECCC Law stipulated that the Co-Investigating Judges shall be appointed for the duration of the investigation, it also provided for the appointment of reserve Co-Investigating Judges.

The EC
weeks ago, accusing Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, of crimes against humanity over his role as chief at the S21 prison in the capital, Phnom Penh.

2007-08-16 00:00:00.000

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BAN KI-MOON ALTERS PLANS FOR UN PRESENCE IN CHAD, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC

BAN KI-MOON ALTERS PLANS FOR UN PRESENCE IN CHAD, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC
New York, Aug 16 2007 5:00PM
Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has unveiled revised plans for a United Nations presence in the troubled east of Chad and northeast of the Central African Republic (CAR), proposing that the European Union (EU) field a military force and the UN focus on training police and civilian areas such as human rights and the rule of law.

In his latest report to the Security Council on the situation in Chad and the CAR, which have both been beset by widespread population displacement because of clashes between rebels and Government forces, Mr. Ban recommends several major adjustments to his earlier plan -- submitted in February -- for a possible UN peacekeeping force.

After the Chadian Government raised concerns about a UN military presence, Mr. Ban now proposes an EU force, which he said has already been accepted in principle by President Idriss Déby. This force, which would be responsible for protecting civilians and ensuring humanitarian assistance can be provided, would operate for 12 months from deployment, with follow-on arrangements to be determined later.

There would now be no direct involvement of the multi-dimensional international presence in the border area, Mr. Ban adds in the report.

While Chadian police and gendarmes will continue to maintain law and order in the camps for refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), they would be screened, trained, monitored and mentored by the UN police component and given direct logistical support from the UN.

A multi-dimensional UN presence of civilian staff, focusing on the areas of civil affairs, human rights, the rule of law and mission support, would also be established, and the headquarters will be in N'Djamena, the Chadian capital.

The UN, the EU and the Chadian authorities would have to coordinate their work very closely, starting from the mission planning stages, if this revised model for a UN presence is to be successful, the Secretary-General stresse

He says the deployment of a UN-mandated multi-dimensional international presence in Chad and the CAR "could have a significant positive impact on the security situation there," adding that a lasting solution to the region's crises -- including the violence and suffering engulfing Sudan's Darfur region -- is only possible through political agreements.

The proposed mission, which would be coordinated by a UN-appointed head of mission and Secretary-General's Special Representative, would operate in Chad's Ennedi Est department and the Wadi Fira, Ouaddai and Salamat regions and in the Vakaga prefecture and the north-eastern part of Haute-Kotto prefecture in the CAR.

Mr. Ban, who made his proposals based on an assessment mission to the region, says the humanitarian situation in eastern Chad and north-eastern CAR "has shown no signs of improving" since February, with more than 400,000 refugees and IDPs as a result of the fighting and an estimated 700,000 others in host communities also affected.

2007-08-16 00:00:00.000

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DPR KOREA: UN IDENTIFIES NEEDS IN WAKE OF DEADLY FLOODS

DPR KOREA: UN IDENTIFIES NEEDS IN WAKE OF DEADLY FLOODS
New York, Aug 16 2007 5:00PM
As United Nations agencies continue their efforts to assess the damage caused by devastating floods in the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), a humanitarian official from the world body said today that a donors' meeting will be convened tomorrow.

Donors will meet in New York to discuss how to mobilize resources to bring relief to hundreds of thousands of flood-stricken people, UN Deputy Emergency Relief Coordinator Margareta Wahlström told reporters.

According to DPRK authorities, as many as 300,000 people have been made homeless by the severe flooding caused by heavy seasonal rains.

UN agencies on the ground ? the UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), the UN Population Fund (<"http://www.unfpa.org/">UNFPA), the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?ModuleID=137&Key=2600">WFP), the UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/en/">WHO) and the UN Resident Coordinator ? have taken part in assessment missions at the behest of the Government, and report that 83 people have lost their lives and 60 are missing.

They also said that in North Hwanghae province, one of the four affected provinces, 10 per cent of the population has been displaced, 70 per cent of the total arable land has been flooded and many health clinics have been destroyed.

Additionally, almost 60,000 houses have been destroyed, more than 90,000 hectares of farmland are flooded and hundreds of bridges have been wrecked, Ms. Wahlström noted.

The floods are exacerbating the already tight food supply in the Asian nation, which kicked off the year with a one million metric ton food deficit. The UN World Food Programme (WFP) has reserves that it is drawing on to feed the affected population.

"If the figures are borne out by our own assessment, then we are very concerned that his is a significant emergency crisis," said the agency's Asia spokesperson Paul Risley.

Earlier this week, both Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and senior of
Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) met with DPRK's Permanent Representative Pak Gil Yon to offer the world body's support.

"The Government of DPRK has, as you know, welcomed assistance, and we are now together with them defining what the needs will be," Ms. Wahlström said today. The most pressing needs will be food, medical support and shelter, she added.

<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF is ready to distribute pre-positioned supplies in Government warehouses, including 100 essential medicine kids, each containing medicines for 4,000 people for three months. The agency ? which is concerned about the vulnerability of children and women in flood-affected regions ? also has ready 500 family water kits to assist 5,000 families for one month and 20 school-in-a-box kits.

UN agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) are scheduled to meet today in Pyongyang to decide the next course of action to provide assistance in the DPRK, where heavy rains are expected to continue until the end of the week.

2007-08-16 00:00:00.000

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UN AGENCY ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE FOR INSECTICIDE-TREATED MOSQUITO NETS TO FIGHT MALARIA

UN AGENCY ISSUES NEW GUIDANCE FOR INSECTICIDE-TREATED MOSQUITO NETS TO FIGHT MALARIA
New York, Aug 16 2007 3:00PM
The United Nations health agency today issued new global guidance on the use of insecticide-treated mosquito nets against malaria, for the first time recommending that they be long-lasting, distributed either free or highly subsidized, and used by all community members to fight a disease that kills more than 1 million people each year.

Until now, UN World Health Organization (<"http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2007/pr43/en/index.html">WHO) guidelines focused primarily on providing nets for children under five and pregnant women, but recent studies from Kenya show that expanding use of the nets to all people in targeted areas increases coverage and enhances protection of vulnerable groups while protecting all community members.

"WHO's new evidence-based guidance provides a road map for ensuring that life-saving, long-lasting insecticidal nets are more widely available and used by communities, and are more effective in protecting poor women and children," WHO Director-General Margaret Chan said. "The collaboration between the Government of Kenya, WHO, and donors serves as a model that should be replicated throughout malarious countries in Africa."

The nets are treated with insecticides that repel, disable or kill the vector mosquitoes which transmit malaria. Conventional insecticide-treated mosquito nets need to be re-treated regularly, while long-lasting insecticidal nets, costing about $5 each, are designed to be effective without re-treatment for the life of the net -- up to five years.

In areas of high transmission where young children and pregnant women are the most vulnerable, WHO now recommends making their protection the immediate priority while progressively achieving full coverage. Malaria kills a child every 30 seconds somewhere in the world, mostly in Africa.

In Kenya, from 2004 to 2006, a near ten-fold increase in the number of young children sleeping under insecticid
targeted districts, resulting in 44 per cent fewer deaths than among children not protected, according to preliminary data from the Government.

These achievements can be attributed to three principal ingredients, which all need to be present for malaria control efforts to succeed - high political commitment from the government, strong technical assistance from WHO, and adequate funding from bilateral and multilateral donors.

Between 2002 and 2006, with a £6 million grant from the United Kingdom Department for International Development, WHO supported the Kenyan Government's free mass distribution of nets and provided technical support and a full-time logistician to support planning and implementation.

The new WHO guidance recommends that campaign-like mass distribution strategies be complemented by delivery through routine health services to achieve and maintain high levels of coverage.

Until recently, progress in scaling up use of the nets has been slow in many countries, due in part to the inability of the international community to reach a consensus on how to deliver them. Approaches have included commercial channels, social marketing, and free or subsidized distribution through routine public health services or campaigns.

The new WHO guidance stresses that cost should not be a barrier to access. Thus far, only free distribution has enabled rapid achievement of high population coverage and elimination of inequities in net use, as has been demonstrated in Kenya.

"This data from Kenya ends the debate about how to deliver long-lasting insecticidal (or just mosquito nets) nets," Arata Kochi, head of WHO's Global Malaria Programme, said. "No longer should the safety and well-being of your family be based upon whether you are rich or poor. When insecticide-treated mosquito nets are easily available for every person, young or old, malaria is reduced."

2007-08-16 00:00:00.000

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UN POLITICAL CHIEF HOLDS TALKS WITH KYRGYZ OFFICIALS AHEAD OF REGIONAL SUMMIT

UN POLITICAL CHIEF HOLDS TALKS WITH KYRGYZ OFFICIALS AHEAD OF REGIONAL SUMMIT
New York, Aug 15 2007 6:00PM
Just ahead of a regional summit in Central Asia, the top United Nations political official is meeting with authorities in Kyrgyzstan today on issues of mutual concern, a spokesperson for the world body announced.

Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs B. Lynn Pascoe met today in Bishkek with the Foreign Minister of Kyrgyzstan, and was expected to meet later in the day with the President and Prime Minister, UN Spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York.

Tomorrow he will attend the Seventh Summit of Heads of State of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization – a regional body comprising China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan – where he will deliver a message on behalf of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

He is also scheduled to meet on the margins of the Summit with the Presidents of Tajikistan and Turkmenistan.

On his way to the region, Mr. Pascoe conducted two days of talks with Chinese Foreign Ministry officials in Beijing, touching on issues including Darfur, the Middle East peace process, Nepal, Myanmar, Kosovo and the Korean Peninsula, as well as cooperation between China and the UN in Africa, Ms. Montas said.

Mr. Pascoe is expected to arrive in Kathmandu this weekend to discuss the peace process with national leaders and to consult with the UN Mission in Nepal (UNMIN), which is providing critical assistance to the holding of Constituent Assembly elections later this year.

He is also expected to meet with Nepal's Prime Minister and other key political figures.
2007-08-15 00:00:00.000

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UN CALLS ON IRAQI LEADERS TO SET ASIDE RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES AFTER DEADLY CAR BLASTS

UN CALLS ON IRAQI LEADERS TO SET ASIDE RELIGIOUS DIFFERENCES AFTER DEADLY CAR BLASTS
New York, Aug 15 2007 6:00PM
United Nations officials today called on Iraqi leaders to set aside religious and political difference and protect civilians after yesterday's multiple car bombings in the north of the country that reportedly left at least 200 people dead and many more wounded.

"Nothing can justify such indiscriminate violence against innocent civilians," Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said in a statement issued by his spokesperson.

He reiterated "the urgent need for all Iraqi leaders, regardless of their political or religious affiliations, to work together to protect civilian lives and to dedicate themselves towards a meaningful dialogue aimed at ending the violence and achieving lasting national reconciliation."

Mr. Ban's Special Representative in Iraq, Ashraf Qazi, condemned the attacks in the villages of Kahtaniya, al-Jazeera and Tal Uzair in northern Iraq as an "abominable crime aimed at widening the sectarian and ethnic divide."

He called on the authorities to ensure that those responsible for "this horrific crime" are brought to justice.

Both Mr. Ban and Mr. Qazi extended their condolences to the families of those killed and their wishes for a full and speedy recovery for those who were wounded.
2007-08-15 00:00:00.000

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UN'S 'MALARIA EXPRESS' SPREADS 300,000 INSECTICIDE-TREATED NETS IN REPUBLIC OF CONGO

UN'S 'MALARIA EXPRESS' SPREADS 300,000 INSECTICIDE-TREATED NETS IN REPUBLIC OF CONGO
New York, Aug 15 2007 5:00PM
With armed police on board for protection through a rebel-held region, a United Nations-sponsored train draped in flags and banners has covered 600 kilometres through the Republic of Congo, dropping off 300,000 insecticide-treated bed nets to fight one of the tropics' deadliest diseases – malaria – in some of the country's remotest corners.

"It's a great irony that the railroad that took 20,000 lives to build in the 1920s is now being used to save lives," UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/congo_40589.html">UNICEF) country representative Koen Vanormelingen said of the mercy mission from the Atlantic port of Pointe Noire to Brazzaville, the capital, the first step in pre-positioning the bed nets at health districts across Congo for the upcoming Child Health Days.

"It was a tremendous challenge to get these nets out, and on a regular schedule it would have taken a year to transport them. So we came up with the strategic partnership with the railroad company and the Government," he added of the campaign to combat a disease that kills a child every 30 seconds somewhere in the world, mostly in Africa.

After weeks of preparation, eight train cars were loaded up with the 300,000 bed nets last week and dignitaries gathered in front of Pointe Noire's imposing Art Deco station. Minister of Health, Social Policy and Family Emelienne Raou donned a white engineer's hat and whistled off the train, and the historic journey was under way.

The special train's two-day trip through the Congo was a first, and as it pushed on across swift rivers and rapids, lush tropical forests and dry open savannah towards the capital, the nets were reloaded onto trucks at stations along the way.

Donations from the Government of Japan and the US Fund for UNICEF, and support from the Congolese Government and the national railroad company, all helped UNICEF get the campaign rolling out against the biggest killer of this country's children.

The train against malaria also helped to create awareness about the scheduled October campaign, during which half a million bed nets will be distributed with the aim of reaching nearly every child under the age of five. The major integrated campaign will also provide vitamin A supplementation, routine vaccination and de-worming.

Armed police were on hand for protection through the Pool region and the train passed signs of earlier derailments along the track – shards of metal discarded around sharp corners. But there was little visible evidence of the toll the railroad took during its construction in the French colonial heydays.

The reason for such big plans is plain to see at any hospital or clinic, where child malaria cases abound. According to the UNICEF country office, only about 5 per cent of pregnant women and children under five sleep beneath insecticide-treated bed nets in the Republic of Congo. Malaria is the major cause of sickness and death in children; it is also the leading cause of dangerous anaemia in pregnant women, which results in low birth weight among newborns.

"It is really innovative," Ms. Raoul said of the initiative. "By launching this train, we are saying that we are serious about the struggle against malaria. Of course, the bed nets are only one part of it," she added, stressing the need to promote insecticide spraying around homes, better sanitation and prompt treatment for children who contract malaria. "Malaria is a real struggle for us, so the main thing is try and kill the larvae before they infect people."

At the Dolisie and Nkayi train stations, some bed nets were handed out directly to pregnant women and mothers with small children. They were especially pleased that the nets were the kind that do not have to be re-treated with insecticide for five years.

"The mosquito nets we get at the market are not impregnated like these, so our children still get malaria. With these ones now we are secure and protected," said Arlette Boungou, 28, with her 18-month-old daughter Marie-Loure in her arms.

The train against malaria has put Congo on track to protecting every child from preventable diseases and coming closer to reaching its Millennium Development Goals (<"http://www.un.org/millenniumgoals/">MDGs), adopted by the leaders of 191 countries at the UN Millennium Summit in 2000 and seeking to sharply slash hunger, disease, illiteracy, environmental degradation and discrimination against women, all by 2015.
2007-08-15 00:00:00.000

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PALESTINIAN TEENAGERS, HIT BY CLOSURES AND POVERTY, BENEFIT FROM UN-BACKED YOUTH CENTRES

PALESTINIAN TEENAGERS, HIT BY CLOSURES AND POVERTY, BENEFIT FROM UN-BACKED YOUTH CENTRES
New York, Aug 15 2007 5:00PM
With border closures and increased poverty continuously undermining the ability of Palestinian teenagers to get a good education and enjoy their time off, tens of thousands of youngsters are benefiting from United Nations-supported learning centres in the West Bank and Gaza to help them overcome stress and hopelessness.

"The chronic anxiety adolescents are facing on a daily basis undermines their self-esteem and increases their feelings of loss of control over their lives," the UN Children's Fund (<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF) said in a report of a centre in the Jabalia refugee camp in the Gaza Strip, one of 40 that the agency is supporting in cooperation with the Palestinian non-governmental organization (NGO), Tamer Institute for Community Education and the Ma'an Development Centre.

The centres are run with the help of local committees trained by UNICEF, consisting of at least four adolescents (both male and female) who oversee activities. Committee members receive 30 hours of training on child rights, communication skills and project management.

UNICEF provides core supplies such as stationery, library furniture and books, as well as computer, sports and music equipment, to enhance the adolescent-friendly environment.

In the midst of poor living conditions at Jabalia, where the poverty rate exceeds 70 per cent in some areas, the centre is the only available outlet for adolescents, serving at least 17,000 of the most disadvantaged teenagers in a setting where they can learn music, play sports and improve their literacy and information technology skills.

"This centre is the only place that gives me the opportunity to learn and widen my knowledge," said Mohammed, 15. "I built good friendships as well. I am now able to express myself better than before."

Because most of the 300 youth clubs in Gaza and the West Bank are under-funded and ill-equipped, most adolescents do not have access to safe recreational areas. At the Jabalia centre, however, they are able to socialize with their peers and learn new things, including dabkeh, the traditional Palestinian folkloric dance.

"The thing that I love the most is music, dabkeh and sports," Mohammed said. "They are very important in helping me build my body and activate my thinking."

Hanin, 16, added: "Because I am interested in learning dabkeh, my life is totally different now. Before coming to the centre, there were no places that could teach us."

The Jabalia Community Centre, which receives funds from the Canadian International Development Agency, is open six days a week, three days each assigned for boys' and girls' activities.

The Gaza Strip and areas in the West Bank have seen frequent closures and road checks in the current violence between Israel and Palestinian groups.
2007-08-15 00:00:00.000

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UN TOURISM AGENCY PLAN AIMS TO HOLD 'CARBON-NEUTRAL' CONFERENCE

UN TOURISM AGENCY PLAN AIMS TO HOLD 'CARBON-NEUTRAL' CONFERENCE
New York, Aug 15 2007 5:00PM
The United Nations World Tourism Organization (<"http://www.world-tourism.org/media/news/en/press_det.php?id=1211&idioma=E">UNWTO) has announced that it will try to make all travel, accommodation and activities related to a climate change conference it is staging in early October "carbon neutral" to set an example about the benefits of offsetting greenhouse gas emissions.

The three-day meeting in Davos, Switzerland, scheduled to begin on 1 October, is the 2nd International Conference on Climate Change and Tourism.

The results of that conference, and a subsequent ministerial summit in London on 13 November, will help formulate UNWTO's contribution to the strategy of Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon during the critical negotiations under the UN Climate Change Convention in Bali, Indonesia, in December, the agency said in a press release issued yesterday from its headquarters in Madrid.

Carbon offsetting is aimed at mitigating the effects of greenhouse gas emissions – such as by participants at an international conference – and can involve such steps as tree planting or investing in renewable energy projects.

UNWTO has asked all participants in the conference at Davos to register with carbon-offsetting organizations. It is also not charging a registration fee for the conference.

UNWTO's Assistant Secretary-General Geoffrey Lipman said it was important for his agency, as the lead tourism body in the UN system, to promote responsible environmental behaviour within the tourism industry.

"We want to send a signal to our own industry that carbon offsetting is easy and that it will make a real difference over time, along with adaptation, mitigation and new technology," Mr. Lipman said.

"We also want to encourage a trend in the sector that carbon offset schemes will be used eventually by all meetings and events. Responding to the climate challenge will require substantial structural changes and take many years to implement, but there are some things we can do immediately."

Established in January 1976, UNWTO serves as a global forum for tourism policy issues and as a practical source of tourism know-how for governments, institutions and the private sector. Its aim is to promote the development of responsible, sustainable and universally accessible tourism.
2007-08-15 00:00:00.000

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SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO GROWTH CRUCIAL IN ASIA, SAYS TOP UN OFFICIAL

SUSTAINABLE APPROACH TO GROWTH CRUCIAL IN ASIA, SAYS TOP UN OFFICIAL
New York, Aug 15 2007 5:00PM
A sustainable approach to development is crucial to keep pace with Asia's unprecedented economic growth, Director-General Juan Somavia of the United Nations International Labour Organization (ILO) said at a three-day conference wrapping up today in Beijing, calling for national measures across the continent to ensure social welfare.

The "job-weak growth" is "not politically sustainable over the long run because underlying it all are different forms of social tensions already expressing themselves in different ways," he said in an address to delegates at an <"http://www.ilo.org/global/lang--en/index.htm">ILO Asian Forum on Growth, Employment and Decent Work.

The Forum is the first major gathering of senior government, labour and employer representatives from nearly two dozen countries in Asia and the Pacific since the launch of the Decent Work Decade at the ILO's Asian regional meeting last year.

Participants – including representatives of finance and planning ministries, academics and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) – discussed how create policies aimed to integrate sustainable development and decent work.

Mr. Somavia stressed that Asian countries share commonalities, and that the "time has come to strive for a social floor in every country according to its means, pursued as a systematic national and international development objective to expand the security of its people."

For example, he cited as a strategy "a basic income, health care and education package – together with organization, rights at work and empowerment to voice and defend their interests."

When combined, "these measures can no doubt enhance growth and productivity," Mr. Somavia noted. "But they are also justified by the enormous growth in wealth creation that has been taking place."

During the conference, participants also conferred on a new ILO report entitled "<"http://www.ilo.org/public/english/region/asro/bangkok/asiaforum/download/visions.pdf">Visions for Asia's Decent Work Decade: Sustainable Growth and Jobs to 2015" said that the continent's vast labour force, already estimated at some 1.8 billion workers, is expected to grow by more than 200 million by the year 2015, posing a series of environmental, economic and social challenges to the region's rapidly growing economies.

The report calls for an effective balance between flexibility, stability and security through improved labour market governance, including the adoption and adherence to international labour standards, improving accountability and transparency, and building the capacity of employers and workers to engage more effectively in serious dialogue.

It also warns that growth and sustainable development could be seriously undermined by environmental degradation, depletion of natural resources and climate change, and stresses the need for governments, employers and workers to develop policy tools aimed at achieving environmentally sustainable development and job creation.
2007-08-15 00:00:00.000

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UNICEF CONTINUES ITS SUPPORT IN FLOOD-STRICKEN BANGLADESH

UNICEF CONTINUES ITS SUPPORT IN FLOOD-STRICKEN BANGLADESH
New York, Aug 15 2007 5:00PM
One month after floods devastated Bangladesh, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) continues to provide food, safe drinking water, sanitation facilities and shelter to those affected by the monsoon rains.

<"http://www.unicef.org/">UNICEF has also deployed 10 mobile water treatment plants for communities needing safe water in concert with the country's Department of Public Health and Engineering.

The agency said in its latest update, released yesterday, that deaths resulting from diarrhoea have been avoided to date – despite 15,000 reported cases – thanks to the availability of oral rehydration salts to treat dehydration.

"It is critical to recognize that in this situation the children and women, especially children of female-headed households, are the most affected," said UNICEF's Representative in Bangladesh Louis-Georges Arsenault. "Our assessments of the situation confirm that there are some very specific needs… such as for special nutrients for children, pregnant and lactating women, which must continue to be addressed."

So far, UNICEF and the UN World Food Programme (<"http://www.wfp.org/english/?">WFP) have distributed 90 tons of high-protein biscuits in Bangladesh and plan to deliver another 24 tons this week, UN spokesperson Michele Montas told reporters in New York yesterday.

An estimated 45 million people across India, Nepal, Bangladesh and Pakistan have been affected by the flooding, with many of them forced to leave their homes. At least 2,200 people have been killed.

The UN's Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?tabid=1080">OCHA) has already announced that it is increasing its support of South Asian governments as they respond to the flooding, including by drawing from the Central Emergency Response Fund (<"http://ochaonline.un.org/Default.aspx?alias=ochaonline.un.org/cerf">CERF).
2007-08-15 00:00:00.000

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